RICE TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A feel-good, hometown event is still ongoing in our area as the community comes together to help one of their own.
After a devastating fire at Adelina's Restaurant and Pizzeria in Mountain Top last month, friends, neighbors, and businesses all rallied to support the owners and staff while they work to rebuild.
It was a heartbreaking loss last month when Adelina's went up in flames.
A fire started in the kitchen around 4:00 a.m. while bread was being prepared. Within 45 minutes, the entire building was fully engulfed.
"Absolutely devastating. The first thing I thought about was my staff because they're my family, and then you know it's our livelihood, all my children work there, our whole family works there, so obviously it was pretty devastating," Adelina's Restaurant Owner Lisa Cummings said.
The family-owned restaurant has been part of the Mountain Top community for six years, employing about 53 people.
After the fire, the owner's focus quickly turned to their employees, and so did the community.
"When we opened our business, they were there for us from the very, very beginning, so I knew something had to be done to help them out," Event Organizer Carrie Kline told 28/22 News.
They organized a benefit Sunday, featuring nearly 140 basket raffles, crafters, baked goods, live bands, and plenty of food and drink.
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Jacob Price worked as a dishwasher at the restaurant and says the family always treated him with respect. He's grateful to see the community give back.
"They treated me like family, and it was just a really great time working there. The atmosphere was very nice. They're always polite, never rude, and they're just a really good family to work for," Price explained.
The event also showed just how much Adelina's means to Mountain Top.
"It definitely is a staple of the community. It's something that everybody goes to to celebrate. So to them coming out to support them and help them rebuild is awesome," Mountain Top resident Cindy Higgins stated.
That support means the world to the owners, as they are determined to turn their tragedy into something positive.
"I cannot even begin to thank all the people that have helped. I mean, from just our neighbors that live right down the road to big and small businesses, just thank you, the fact that all these people are giving back is just incredible," Cummings added.
The benefit will wrap up at 8:00 p.m. Sunday at the American Legion in Mountain Top.
The owners hope to raise around $10,000 to help their staff pay bills while the business is temporarily shut down.
Plans are already underway to rebuild.
